MommycosmMommycosmhttp://www.mommycosm.com/journal/2014-08-22T20:41:44ZSquarespaceBringing blogging back...http://www.mommycosm.com/journal/2014/8/22/bringing-blogging-back.htmlMommycosm2014-08-22T20:15:15Z2014-08-22T20:15:15ZI just want to put on record that I really miss old school blogging. You know, before Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest were even on the scene. Back when "Ashlie" anonymously blogged because she had something to say or share, even if it was random. Especially if it was random. We blogged to make each other laugh or think or just feel less alone in the world. We used two spaces after periods.

Dinosaurs may or may not have roamed the Earth.

Mommycosm started as an experiment. After losing my "real" job , I spent a few years transitioning from hobby to business. I came out as... well, me, Kim. It was amazing to attend conferences around the country and share ideas with my peers and industry leaders. We lifted each other up, taught each other how to use our skills to earn income for our families. I felt honored to represent a number of great brands and have met some fabulous people who are now some of my closest friends.

Work took over for a couple of years... which was fun and fabulous, but then I got too busy to write. My voice was often filtered knowing that BIG BROTHER and the rest of the world could be reading. Around the same time, I took on a varsity coaching position and the matrix exploded. Everyone in my real life started to know about my online life.

I... slowly... stopped... writing.

Fast forward to now...

My lifestyle has undergone changes, with my husband traveling a shit ton. Yes, I will say SHIT now. If someone reading is offended, you probably shouldn't be swimming around in my world. Solo parenting is HARD. The kids are getting older and demand attention if they are to be raised they way we envisioned.

So... ever so slowly, I stopped taking on social media projects.

Here I am. No longer really working online. No longer writing.

Cannot tell you how many times I have opened up a [New Post] window and just stared at it.

I could tell them about this...

No... I just mentioned that on Facebook. Anyone who cares already saw it.

Ugh.

A decision needed to made this summer about renewing the LLC created to handle the income from social media work. I agonized. Would letting go of this final piece be the nail in the coffin that was Mommycosm? Not just that, but would it be the end of a (very necessary) piece of me? One that I miss dearly, for what it's worth.

I let it go. The LLC, but not the blog.

Yeah, so, Mommycosm is no longer an official business entity.

But I'm still here. I still have a lot to say and share. Would love to laugh a bit more, because, Man, life has gotten so serious.

I guess when I think about it long and hard, the only difference between 6 years ago when I first started and now? Single spacing after periods makes more sense going forward.

This isn't a typical shot that I would share online. It's not a glossy, happy shot of me looking my thinnest and most care-free surrounded by loved ones. heh

It IS, however, arguably the rawest shot of me taken lately. I actually paused and said "whoa" when I stumbled across it today.

Raw.

In all ways - including the fact that I didn't alter it or use a filter. I had no make up on (obviously). Clearly got snapped in a moment where my current emotional state was bubbling to the surface... all while hiding under a hat with the sun behind me.

Not sure if I look mad? Or sad? Or just plain exhausted?

I'll go ahead and answer that.

Yes.

All of the above.

So serious.

Things are almost unbearably overwhelming at times over here. For reasons I don't speak about publicly anymore in this here online space.

I'm OK. Things will improve to alright in the near future. I hope. If not, I'll be so damn busy with my high school softball season and a trip to Spain in July that I won't have time to reflect on my emotional state;-)

This shot captured one still moment of truth.

What would your truth look like right now?

]]>NH based America's Team to play softball in Spainhttp://www.mommycosm.com/journal/2014/1/21/nh-based-americas-team-to-play-softball-in-spain.htmlMommycosm2014-01-21T17:32:47Z2014-01-21T17:32:47ZFrom July 14-22, 2014, America’s Team New Hampshire will be participating in an exciting and challenging tour of Spain, stopping to play softball games in the cities of: Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. The team is comprised of NH based varsity athletes that possess a good attitude, strong academics, excellent character and a passion for the game of softball.

Why am I sharing this here at Mommycosm?

I have the honor of being the head coach for this team. Yes, I'm still coaching at the high school. In fact, 5 of my players are now on the roster.

My travel bucket list puts Spain just under my top 5 choices: Australia, Italy, Ireland, Bali & Egypt. The opportunity isn't something that comes around every day, so I embraced it. Recruiting has been interesting. It was fairly easy at first to find a core team. We're still looking to round out the roster with a couple of players. You know, just in case someone gets sick or injured traveling or needs a break in the hot, summer in Spain weather. Some of our players have never flown on an airplane before... that should be fun and interesting.

We're working on securing sponsors. The cost per player is around $4k and we are hoping to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses as much as possible. If you are a brand or a company seeking unique advertising opportunities, please check out our Sponsor page. You can follow along our journey on our website.

America's Team has a motto of "changing lives through sports". What an amazing opportunity this to do just that.

]]>Deep thoughts and happy placeshttp://www.mommycosm.com/journal/2013/11/19/deep-thoughts-and-happy-places.htmlMommycosm2013-11-19T13:35:08Z2013-11-19T13:35:08ZOne of my happy places right now is while I am at the yoga class I teach 2x a week. It's the only place where the people around me actually listen to me. Imagine everyone peacefully, willingly moving in sync following your cues. It's almost a magical experience for this (often) solo parenting mom to 2 kids and 3 dogs... all of whom NEVER listen to me. Like, ever. At the end of class, I always read a quote or poem. Typically it is something that speaks to me personally, like this one I read yesterday.

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. ~ Helen Keller

I haven't been able to put my own feelings into coherant thoughts and, therefore, don't have a lot of my own words to share lately. Maybe it's partially because I'm tired of hearing myself speak at home and not be heard. ehem. It explains, to some degree, the cobwebs forming here at Mommycosm.

Here are a few more quotes that currently resonate with me as well.

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. ~Thomas Jefferson

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. ~Unknown

I used to think that the worst thing in life is the end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone. ~ Robin Williams

There's no such thing as being too busy, if you want something you will make time for it. - unknown

Came across this pic today when clearing out an old laptop that I'm selling to a friend.

Trippy... and perfect to share on what everyone on Facebook seems to be calling Throwback Thursday.

The pic was taken a few months after Charlie was born and Kacie was just 3 years old beginning pre-school.

Blink and flash forward to today.

Kacie is now an 11 year old (going on 17). She's in Middle School and is plotting world domination and planning the house she will have when she finally leaves us. I think she has a countdown clock on her iPhone ticking away the seconds until that very day.

*sigh*

Charlie is an 8 year old version of Absent Minded Professor. The kid is so stinking smart and we're pretty certain he has a photographic memory. For reals. Scary. Problem is his mind is so full of facts, figures and learning new concepts that he literally forgets to flush the damn toilet. He's turning this Mom into a Nutty Professor.

*sigh*

They appear to actually like eachother back then, don't they? Must have been before Charlie learned to speak, because once that started, his mere breath annoys his big sister. He's given up trying to please her and get her to like him - now it's his life's mission to annoy the living heck out of her.

These aren't the easiest of times here at Mommycosm. Seeing this throwback pic reminds me that this too shall pass. Almost too quickly. Trying to find peace within the fresh talk, messy spaces and squabbles. Trying to teach them all I can before it's time for them to be let loose in the world.

The deception about time is that sometimes it appears endless. The illusion about life is that sometimes we feel so VERY alone. Sometimes looking back actually gives me hope for the future. I survived then. I will survive now. Pretty sure I'm not alone and that a number of my friends/readers feel the same some days. Right??

]]>On Mom Guilt and cloninghttp://www.mommycosm.com/journal/2013/9/20/on-mom-guilt-and-cloning.htmlMommycosm2013-09-20T16:24:16Z2013-09-20T16:24:16ZConversation yesterday between me and my 8 year old 3rd grader.

Charlie: Mommy, are you chaperoning my field trip tomorrow?

Me: No, honey. I can't this time.

Charlie: But whyyyyy?

Me: I teach yoga on Fridays until 10am and your trip leaves at 8:30am. Can't be in two places at once.

*thoughtful pause*

Charlie: I'm going to invent a cloning gun. Then I'll shoot you with it and you can go to both.

Me: *giggle* Yep, I believe you could one day, baby. I really do.

Oh, my heart. Mom Guilt. She's a nasty little bitch, no?

]]>iPhone iOS7 tips & tricks rounduphttp://www.mommycosm.com/journal/2013/9/19/iphone-ios7-tips-tricks-roundup.htmlMommycosm2013-09-19T17:01:31Z2013-09-19T17:01:31ZOK, I'll admit, I'm not always one to jump on the Next Best Thing bandwagon. It took me years to switch over from my trustworthy Crackberry to an iPhone. I swear I was one of the last people to finally convert.

But...

I couldn't resist upgrading my iPhone 4s to the new iOS7 on the first day it was offered... yesterday. The feature to draw me in? Folders. They now hold more apps by placing them in pages within the folders. Haven't tested to see if there is a max limit within each, but I've been consolidating my folders and love being able to have everything on the home page again.

Yes, I know, I have a ton of apps.

Least helpful, but coolest new feature? Siri now has an option for a male voice. Disappointed they haven't given the option for various accents... mine definitely would be sporting a New Zealand one... but it's a definitely more fun to try to get HIM to talk dirty to me instead of the girly Siri.

Shut up, like you haven't asked that from Siri before. Deny it.

So, do I love iOS7?

Love is such a strong word.

Like the first day I switched from a PC to a Mac, I couldn't help but feel all thumbs while trying to figure out simple tasks, like shutting off apps. I don't love feeling adept.

Also, I'm not a love-at-first-sight kinda girl. Check back in a couple of weeks, perhaps my love will have grown. I definitely like more than I dislike so far.

SO, about that all thumbs thing. I connected with my favorite problem solving consultant... Google... ehem... and found some really good articles about the new iOS7 features. Lots of helpful tips & tricks out there already.

So, when my husband (who is not from around here) asked his annual oh-so-silly question: "Do we HAVE to go to the fair EVERY year?!"

He got an emphatic response from me and the kids of "ABSOLUTELY!"

Duh.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that this was probably my 38th year going to the fair. I attended a private school located just down the street during grades 1-8. Each year during fair week, we would serendipitously have a half day on Wednesday. It was tradition for the older grades to walk after school down to the fair to spend the afternoon getting dizzy on rides and eating fair food. I may have missed a year or two when I lived down in Boston after college... so I'd say 38 of the 138 years is accurate.

A lot of the fair experience is been there, done that.

You know, the rides. The exhibits. The games.

It's fun to see it again through my kids' eyes.

Oh, and this year, I experienced a first. A vendor was selling fried... well, just about everything. We opted for the Oreos, pictured above. Pretty sure this will become a Thanksgiving tradition to cook up after our fried turkey.

Y-U-M.

YUM!!

The booth was located right at the main entrance, too. Got us just as we were walking in.

So, we decided to see the animals and exhibits first, allowing us to walk the oreos off, if that was even possible.

Met this handsome, smiling Giraffe.

Who proceeded to ...

Yep. Pick his nose with his tongue.

Talented, that Giraffe.

In addition to the exotic, nose-picking animals, there were a ton of local farms showing off their animals.

My favorite are the piglets.

And that, my friends, is where the term PIG PILE originated.

My son enjoyed the pigs, too. I think he feels a kinship with them... we sometimes refer to him as Pig Pen due to the way he leaves a pile of dust behind him in his wake.

The one shot I got of my kids was in the sheep barn.

Where we all agreed this was a fitting shot to take of me...

Get it? The Black Sheep.

Heh.

I agree with my husband that the fair is overpriced, overwhelming & dirty experience that we never get out of without one of the kids crying for more of something despite us dropping about $100 for the day. But it's not a tradition I'm willing to give up.

Yet.

How about you? Any fairs near you? Or traditions you and your spouse aren't on the same page about?

Well, isn't that above screenshot a sight for (my) sore eyes?! And I mean that literally. It appears the mice really do play while the cat is away... someone hacked Mommycosm and infected it with malware during my unscheduled haitus. Which meant that google blacklisted me.

Now, it does sound kinda a little badass to get blacklisted, but I don't recommend it. No one could access the site without a nasty message saying it was dangerous. I wasn't able to login for days and then had to manually go through 6+ years of comments to remove any posted references and suspicious comments that may have code imbedded.

While watching BP on the field at a Red Sox game last night (more on that later!), I was left wordless with just a huge smile on my face after watching the San Diego Padres do their dynamic warm ups all together- including their adorable bat boy.Been preaching the benefits of dynamic vs static warm ups for years to my high school softball teams. Loved seeing the pros in action :)

(Wondering why my mobile app won't let me include link to other wordless Wednesday entries. Sigh. Will add when I'm on the full site later!)